Arcane

Details

This is a sub-type that was created in the Kamigawa Block. Arcane was only a sub-type for Instant and Sorcery spells.These spells are meant to represent spells used by spirits or Kami. Many cards in the block have to do with spirit or arcane spells.

Most instant and sorcery spells in the Kamigawa Block have "Splice onto Arcane: <cost>;". By paying a card's splice cost as you cast an arcane spell, you could reveal it from your hand to add that card's effects to that spell. That way, the spell you revealed wouldn't go to your graveyard, and if you had plenty of arcane spells in your deck, you could reuse the card over and over without it going to your graveyard. However, some instants and sorceries didn't have mana costs, but they had splice onto arcane. You couldn't cast it because it had no mana cost, but you could pay its splice cost.